This episode is the first of two with Alyse Speyer: She helps entrepreneurs discover and write the books that live inside of them. In this first episode, we discover her story of resilience, and I can’t get enough of these why behind the mission!

It is so fascinating how Alyse’s story naturally led her to what she is doing today, how she already used writing as a therapy tool for herself and we go deep in the various ways storytelling takes a big part in our life… Weather we do it consciously, or it is happening without us really noticing.

Stay tuned for the next episode where we will dive into what Alyse is sharing to the world today: using creative writing to help her clients heal their stories and create their life.

We often don’t see the resilience in our own life: we are stronger than they think they are. We forget how incredibly interesting we are as human beings. [01:50]

Alyse’s first experience with being close to death: How we sometimes need to have a major crisis, acting as wake-up call, to realize the path we are on… And that we need to change something, now. [03:23]

What story do we make out of what happens to us? The three stories about the experience of Alyse, and how she chose the one she wanted to keep. I just wanted to understand what happened. Everybody assumed I already knew… I had no idea of what happened. Where, when, what, I had the same questions than them. “I was so worried about what everyone else was thinking, because that literally was gonna determinate my future.” [08:05]

Alyse’s experience at 10 of being pointed with a gun: “I understood at a young age that I’m going to live my life as I want it, because I could die any moment.” [13:11]

The fascinating play of real-life storytelling: the story we tell ourselves, the event that happened from that, the story others put on this event, the story we make out it for ourself, the story we tell others. How Alyse, the “good student”, became in one night Alyse, “the troubled kid”. And how it impacted her behavior: We grow into the story others make for us. I realized how many different stories I was telling myself and I was told during that time-period, that I since had to untangle, and choose. [17:05]

Alyse’s resilience tool: “Writing is really something that saved my life during that period.” The importance of expression, an how we can reclaim our story and identity: “I was writing those stories while I was still in it, because I really didn’t have any other way. Because everyone was telling me what I should think.”. Creative writing helps to see the different points of view: “When we can use that creativity to see what is the problem, we fall in love with the problem.” “The how is really scary; so I change all of those “how” into “what if… […] The question of what puts you back into creativity, curiosity, and allows you to sit with the fear.” [21:23]

How Alyse used storytelling and writing as a therapy for overcoming challenges.Seeing what we want to share and who we want to be as a result of the stories we tell, allows us to actually see it as a book in our life; and something that someone else can now learn from. [29:00]

Why I’m doing this podcast! The importance of sharing stories: People sometime don’t take the depth of the situation until they hit a major crisis… Or hear the experience of someone else going through a similar situation. And a little bit more on resilience and the story we tell ourselves. [33:15]

Learning from our difficult times: the treasure in going through pain and using “yes, and” or “what if”. We can also avoid hitting the wall and correct course before the full crisis. [36:04]

The ups and downs of navigating through life, and going to burnout… And back. “The one thing that I was unable to do during that time period, was to just relax; just be with myself, and accept me as me. I needed during that time, to do things in order to be.” [41:24]

Who is Alyse Speyer

Alyse Speyer started her career in marketing for technology start-ups in San Francisco’s Silicon Valley. After a few experiences of coming close to death, existential crises, and tech burnout, she left tech to pursue her passion for meditation, yoga, and personal development.

She has since spent her days obsessed with breathing, transitions, and learning how to navigate the complex theories and practices of this feeling we call Life. She has coached and taught her blend of yoga & modern life coaching all over the world.

Nowadays she holds the podcast Movement unedited, and is now working as a life coach and writing coach, helping entrepreneurs discover and write the books that live inside of them.